The present invention relates generally to cartoners or cartoner machines, and in particular, to horizontal cartoners.
Cartoners, or cartoner machines, typically are designed to insert a material or substance, or a package of material or substance, into a carton. For example, the cartoner machine may be configured to open or unfold a carton, insert the material or package into the carton and thereafter close the carton. Cartoners generally are designed to fill and close a large number of cartons in a relatively short period of time, and are typically incorporated into an assembly line. As such, it is important to minimize the amount of time required to fill and close the carton, while at the same time minimizing the number of malfunctions, including for example jamming, breaking or otherwise damaging the package and/or carton, which can lead to downtime of the machine.
Typically, cartoners are configured as vertical cartoners or horizontal cartoners. Vertical cartoners typically insert a material or package of material vertically into a carton having an upwardly facing open end. In this way, gravity assists in the insertion and/or filling process. Typically, the cartons are intermittently conveyed or moved beneath a filling station, at which the carton is filled.
Horizontal cartoners typically insert a package of material horizontally into a carton, which typically is configured with an open end that faces sideways. Often, horizontal cartoners include a series of trays, which are shaped to hold the package (usually on three sides), and a series of push members, which gradually push the package horizontally from the tray into a carton as the tray and push members move together along the assembly line. Often, when the packages hold a fluid substance, such as a liquid or powder, the packages can be difficult to insert into the carton. Moreover, the speed of the overall process line is often limited by the rate at which the cartons are filled. In addition, when a malfunction, such as a jam, occurs at any one of the tray/pusher stations, the entire line may need to be shut down, thereby decreasing the overall efficiency of the system.
Briefly stated, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a horizontal cartoner assembly, which inserts a package into a carton. In one preferred embodiment, the cartoner assembly comprises a loader and an indexer. The loader comprises at least one horizontally extending drive belt, an input end and an output end. The drive belt is adapted to support one or more packages as they are moved from the input end to the output end. The indexer is positioned adjacent the output end of the loader and comprises a plurality of moveable support members defining at least in part a plurality of loading stations. The support members are adapted to support a carton at each of the loading stations and are moveable such that the plurality of loading stations are successively aligned with the drive belt of the loader at the output end of the loader. In a preferred embodiment, the drive belt moves at a constant speed, while in other preferred embodiments it is accelerated.
In one preferred embodiment, the loader comprises a first, second, third and fourth drive belt, with the first and second drive belts spaced from each other in a substantially parallel relationship, with the third and fourth drive belts spaced from each other in a substantially parallel relationship and with the third and fourth drive belts oriented in a substantially perpendicular relationship to the first and second drive belts, wherein the space between the first and second drive belts can be varied. In one preferred embodiment, at least one of the first and second drive belts is moveable toward and away from the other of the first and second drive belts. Also in one preferred embodiment, at least one of the third and fourth drive belts is moveable toward and away from the other of the third and fourth drive belts, wherein the space between the third and fourth drive belts can be varied.
In one preferred embodiment, the indexer comprises first and second spaced apart drive members, with each of the first and second drive members having a plurality of support members extending therefrom. In one preferred embodiment, the indexer further includes third and fourth spaced apart drive members, each having a plurality of support members extending therefrom. The support members on the first, second, third and fourth drive members preferably define the plurality of loading stations.
In another aspect of the invention, the cartoner further comprises a conveyor positioned adjacent an output end of the indexer. In one preferred embodiment, the conveyor is continuously moveable, while in another embodiment it is configured to be intermittently moveable. The indexer releases the carton with the package inserted therein onto the conveyor. In one preferred embodiment, a plurality of loaders and associated indexers are successively aligned adjacent the conveyor.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a carton placer is positioned adjacent an input end of the indexer and is adapted to position a carton in each of the plurality of loading stations. In a preferred embodiment, the carton placer is a rotary carton placer.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of inserting a package into a carton comprises moving the package along a horizontal path, moving a carton into alignment with the horizontal path, wherein the carton comprises at least one open end, stopping the carton when the open end of the carton is aligned with the horizontal path, inserting the package into the carton through the open end of the carton, and moving the carton with the package inserted therein away from the horizontal path. In a preferred embodiment, the package is moved along the horizontal path at a constant speed.
In a preferred embodiment, the carton is moved along a vertical path into alignment with the horizontal path, and is moved along a vertical path as it is moved away from the horizontal path.
In another aspect of the invention, the method further includes inserting a premium into the carton.
In yet another aspect, the method further includes depositing the carton with the package inserted therein onto a conveyor and thereafter closing the open end of the carton. In one preferred embodiment, the conveyor is continuously moving, while in another it moves intermittently.
In one preferred embodiment, a first carton is deposited onto the conveyor at a first location fixed relative to the moving conveyor and a second carton is deposited onto the conveyor at a second location fixed relative to the moving conveyor, wherein the second location is positioned downstream of the first location.
In one preferred embodiment, a plurality of packages are moved along the horizontal path at a constant speed, wherein the plurality of packages are spaced apart along the horizontal path. Also in one preferred embodiment, the method includes successively, intermittently moving a plurality of cartons into alignment with the horizontal path. In one alternative preferred embodiment, a plurality of packages can be moved together along the horizontal path and can be inserted into a single carton.
The present invention provides significant advantages over other cartoners. For example, the indexer, which is preferably intermittent, can feed cartons with packages inserted therein into a continuous closer. As such, the closer can be run more efficiently, without interrupting various closing operations, such as gluing the package, even when one or more of the loader, indexer, or carton placer jams or otherwise malfunctions. In addition, a plurality of indexers can be fed into a single closer. Therefore, if one or more indexers, or associated loaders, jams or otherwise malfunctions, the remaining indexers and loaders can continue to feed the closer, such that the entire operation is not shut down.
Likewise, the assembly can be provided with multiple package feeds feeding into a single loader. Again, if a problem develops with one or more of those feeds, the remaining feeds and loader can continue to supply the indexer and, subsequently, the closer. In addition, the cartoner is ideally suited for the insertion of premiums and coupons, which can be inserted into the carton either before or after the package is inserted into the carton.
The loader by itself also provides significant advantages. By providing a loader that operates at a constant speed or velocity, the package is maintained in a relative uniform shape, and is not otherwise deformed or acted upon by acceleration forces. At the same time, the package can be quickly inserted into the carton, which is preferably stationary, without applying excessive forces to the opposite end of the carton, and without the protracted manipulation of a pusher member. At the same time, the loader and indexer can be made relatively compact, such that they typically require less floor space than a conventional horizontal push-member cartoner. In addition, the loader and indexer are very accessible to the operation, thereby facilitating the clearing of jams and the like.
In addition, in one preferred configuration of the loader, which includes at least four drive belts, the loader shapes and maintains the shape of the package such that it is shaped to be easily received in the carton, even when the package contains fluid-like substances. Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, the space between opposing drive belts can be easily changed to accommodate different packages having different depths and widths. Likewise, the spacing between the support members and drive members on the indexer can be easily changed to accommodate cartons having different depths and widths. As such, changeover from one product to another is greatly simplified, and avoids the need to replace trays and pusher members of different sizes, which can be very time consuming. In this way, the downtime of the line can be greatly reduced between product changeovers.
The present invention, together with further objects and advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.